A New Beginning
by closertothedreamx
Summary: Begins at the '6 Months Later' of the final episode of COE. The Government recommissions Torchwood and Lois Habiba joins the team but Gwen is still lost without Jack. Will he return? Mature themes. Minor Jack/Gwen. More chapters to be expected.
1. tell me, will you stay?

**I do not own Torchwood or any of its Characters/Settings.  
It all belongs to the BBC. **

**Please let me know what you think by posting a review and if you have any queries or corrections about the detail in the FanFic, please let me know. :)  
Enjoy ~~**

SIX MONTHS LATER~

The ebony horizon was littered with tiny flecks of white light from the streets below. The moon was full, casting eerie shadows upon the ground. The breeze rustled through the trees and carried itself across the damp grass of the hill. The young woman stumbled up the hill, her arms wrapped tightly around herself to shield her skin from the cold wind. Her green-hazel eyes lit up when she saw the silhouette standing proudly, only a few metres away from her, on the top of the hill. Her green shirt pulled tightly over the large mound of her stomach; she was pregnant, at least six months gone. Her clumsy legs struggled on the few more metres and the urgency to see the man was burning inside of her.

Stopping a metre from him, she let a small smile drift over her features. It was enough for a greeting; nothing else seemed fitting. They'd gone from seeing each other every day to being apart for six months. It was confusing and the young woman had no idea where she fitted in the man's life. They'd been through so much together and she didn't know if it mattered anymore.

The man returned her smile, albeit only fleetingly. He'd become a shadow of his former self. The confident, sexy and alluring man had skittered away and was now replaced by a tired and emotionally drained shell. His shoulders slumped slightly but it could not be noticed beneath his thick, blue Army regulation coat. His hand slid into his pockets and his eyes drifted across the woman in front of him. Oh, how the Torchwood team had disintegrated; it was only loosely held together with Captain Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper.

"How are you?" Gwen didn't really know what to say; surely it was best just to start off with pleasantries. However, she didn't need to ask; how he felt was written all over his face.

"I'm existing." Jack replied, his tone defeatist. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly; he didn't know what she wanted him to say. "You?"

"Fine, fine. I'm fine." Gwen stuttered out. The atmosphere between them was horrific and it gnawed away at her. All she wanted to do was take him in her arms and hold him, and tell him that it was going to be okay. She wanted to tell him that they'd get through it, and that she would always be there for him. Somehow she resisted, mainly because she knew she couldn't. "So… what now?"

The question had been playing on her mind ever since the world had been saved again. The Hub was no more, Ianto was dead and it seemed that a part of Jack had died with him. Gwen wanted to know whether there was any hope and whether Torchwood could be salvaged. And even though she asked the question, she got the feeling that not even Jack, her leader and the man she loved, could answer her plea.

"I leave." Jack replied instantaneously. His tone was dead and when Gwen looked into his eyes, she found that they were the same. Jack had given up on the fight because he had nothing left to fight for. "I need a new start, a new planet, a new life. A new beginning."

"You can't keep running, Jack." Gwen snapped. She couldn't deal with this, she needed support but she'd told Rhys to stay at home. She'd thought that she could cope and that she could convince Jack to snap out of it and make him realise that he was needed.

"I can't stay here, it's ruined." His eyes began to water as his mind returned to the moment of apocalypse. He'd gone to extortionate measures; he'd sacrificed his own grandson, his flesh and blood, for the rest of the world. Ianto was dead, Torchwood was finished and his daughter was repulsed by him; he had nothing left.

"It's not your fault." Gwen began to tear up herself, the tears refusing to break their flood barriers as she was determined not to falter. She was married with a child on the way; there was no use in declaring her love for a broken man. She couldn't have him. "Y – You saved millions. Millions of children are _alive_ because of you."

"It's not enough." He retorted. "You don't know what it's like to carry this. Once again, I put the good of the world before my family. Steven, Ianto… They're all dead because of me. It's _not_ enough. I've got nothing worth staying for!" The anger in his voice was incredible; Gwen could feel it rocketing through her very being, she could see how distraught he was and yet, she couldn't do anything to comfort him. "I have to leave, I have to run."

Gwen nodded solemnly as if she agreed with him. Her tears rolled down her cheeks, the situation they were in finally striking at her core. "Whfat about me?" She whispered; however, just loud enough for Jack to hear. She began to shake her head before she forced herself to meet his eyes. "What – about – me? You saved me, Jack. You can stay here, you can back with me."

"No. No, you've got Rhys and you've got the baby." Jack shook his head and stepped closer, but only by a fraction. "I've lived this life too long… it's time to start another one. You'll be fine; you'll be so busy when the baby comes. You won't even know I'm gone."

"Don't be stupid." Gwen battled through her tears, the freezing air biting at her face. "Promise me you'll come back. Please." She exclaimed, moving closer in a bid to close the gap between them.

Jack shook his head, and lowered his eyes to the ground. He didn't know what to say to her; if everything went well, if he built himself a new life, why would he ever want to come back to this one?

"Look at me, look at me."Gwen ordered as she finally closed the gap between them; her hands found themselves on top of his. She wanted to be held in his arms and to feel safe, but it was too much to ask now. All she wanted was a promise. "Promise! I won't let you go if you don't, Jack."

With all his strength and all his courage, he couldn't say and he didn't want to lie to her. It wasn't fair of him. "I can't." Exhaling deeply, he enveloped her in his arms and embraced her deeply. Hurriedly, she returned the embrace, clutching at the back of his head, her fingers running through his hair. Gwen could stay like this forever; she would let him hold her forever.

"Please don't leave me." She gushed, her hand running up and down his back, the other holding onto the back of his neck. Jack held her tightly, but slowly uncovered the transportation device strapped to his wrist. "You can't keep running, Jack." She repeated, clutching at him for dear life.

Jack quickly pressed the button on the watch-like gadget and squeezed her petite frame once more. "I can and I will." He whispered into her ear before a light began to emanate from the sky. The bright, blue light beamed down from the darkness and found Jack and Gwen. His device had sent out a homing signal to the nearest spaceship; he didn't know where he was going and it felt good.

Breaking the embrace, Gwen stumbled back and her eyes widened to see Jack's body overwhelmed by the fluorescence. "Goodbye, Gwen." He said simply and disappeared before her eyes.

"Goodbye." She said limply and dropped to her knees, a shuddering sob escaping her lips.

**_Title of Chapter:  
Credit to Whitney Houston - Run to You_**


	2. if we could only turn back time

12 MONTHS LATER~

The sound of high heeled boots created a rhythm across the concrete streets of Cardiff. It appeared that a chase was in operation and a dark headed female was in pursuit. Rain was pouring heavily, droplets of water falling from the sky and overflowing the drains. It was late September and the cold was beginning to set in.

It had been a year since Gwen last saw Jack. The memory of their moment on the hill replayed in her mind when she found herself with a lack of things to do. Gwen had delivered her beautiful baby boy, ten months ago, and Rhys had settled perfectly into the demands of fatherhood. He was what most would call, a stay-at-home dad; Gwen was the breadwinner in the family after the Government recommissioned Torchwood.

The Government had handled the 456 badly, and they recognized, with the benefit of hindsight, that all along they had needed Torchwood. Gwen was in charge; after all, there had been no one else with the skills she had under her belt. The Government had found Gwen a new 'hub' in a dilapidated warehouse near Cardiff bay and it had been fully equipped with the technology that she needed.

Pressing the green button on her two-way radio and she pressed it to her ear. "Lois? Have you seen him?" Gwen pronounced the words slowly and clearly, unsure of how good the reception on the radio would be, especially with the rain falling from the sky.

Gwen had inducted Lois Habiba into Torchwood as soon as the Government had re-established Torchwood. She had proved to be an enthusiastic and knowledgeable member of Torchwood, and had adapted to the lifestyle quite quickly. Gwen warned her about the impact it would have on her life, but it didn't seem to matter to Lois. Even though they'd known each other for more than a year, they still knew little about the other but that didn't seem to bother them. Gwen didn't want to create a relationship within such a risky job; she'd been heartbroken too many times.

"No, he's not down this end. He must have escaped." Lois replied, her voice muffled and quiet. She couldn't seem to get the hand of the radio; she either put it too close to her lips or too far away.

"Shit." Gwen cursed with fury. They had been tracking this creature for over a week now and it evaded her every time. They didn't even know what it was.

Well, they did but Gwen refused to believe it. The creature lured lustful women with too much alcohol in their system out in to alleyways and drained them of all their blood. It left their cold, blue bodies on the harsh concrete and took off. It was much too happy roaming the hunting grounds of Cardiff's nightclubs and had already succeeded in three mysterious murders. Torchwood, along with the Government, had done their best to keep the deaths out of the media but the Police were stumped, as usual, into whom or what could be responsible.

Gwen could deal with aliens, alternate universes, killer faeries and time travelling but the possibility of vampires? It was completely insane and went beyond anything that she could even contemplate. However, Lois was dead set on the idea. They'd trawled through newspaper articles, ancient texts and the internet, collecting all the ideas and myths about vampires that they could find. The basic premise was this; a creature that survives from the life essence of another creature, predominately human blood. They are said to be pale, undead and cannot exist under sunlight.

It sounded ridiculous; something you read about in a sickly romantic teenage novel, about a gorgeous and enigmatic vampire that falls in love with a docile, whiny human girl. Gwen couldn't let her mind comprehend that vampires actually existed. If vampires existed then perhaps everything existed, maybe werewolves prowled the woods during full moons and unicorns hopped from rainbow to rainbow granting wishes.

"Do you have a reading on him?" Gwen shakily replied. Lois had managed to shoot a tracking device into the leg of the vampire. Seeing as vampires were as tough as nails, Gwen presumed that he hadn't felt the intrusion.

"I'm just activating the signal…" Tapping into the laptop positioned in the left seat of the BMW Z3, Lois watched as a green light lit up on the screen map of Cardiff. "Just correlating his exact position…"

Gwen waited anxiously on the other end of the two-way radio. She didn't have the time to mess around, if this vampire killed another person tonight, she didn't think the Government could keep it quiet much longer. "Come on, Lois."

"Okay… got it!" Lois exclaimed, her tone triumphant. "He's at a bar on the outskirts of Cardiff. It's called Jazz, ten minutes away. I'll come get you." Lois pressed the enter key on her laptop, sending the exact location of the bar to the Satellite Navigation system, integrated into the dash of the BMW. Pressing her foot down on the accelerator, the wheels of the nippy sports car spun before propelling the vehicle down the road. A few swift turns later, Lois slammed the brakes down to a stop right beside Gwen who was standing on the pavement of Cathedral Road. "Get in." Lois ordered, leaning across the seat to push the door open for Gwen.

"Is he still at the club?" Gwen questioned; even though Lois had really stepped up to the mark since joining Torchwood, picking up tips about technology and doing research of her own, Lois was still no Tosh.

"The laptop will alert us if his location changes." The pretty twenty-three year old replied matter-of-factly. Long gone was the job of Bridget Spears' junior PA, she had thrown herself into the world of aliens and other worlds. She thoroughly believed in the job; it wasn't about the money or the prestige or the respect, it was about knowing that what she did from day to day protected people and saved them.

"Okay, let's go then."

Five minutes later, tires screeched to a halt leaving a rubbery residual smell in the air. Gwen jumped out, banging the door of the Z3 behind her. She much preferred the car to the black monster-like Land Rovers Torchwood used to drive. Lois was right on her heels. Both were let into the club and their eyes scanned the dark, sensual atmosphere. Small round tables were haphazardly littered around the lower part of the club. The bar was outlined in neon roping and Latin-looking men mixed cocktails for the queuing customers. Over on the dance floor, strobe lighting illuminated the grinding bodies of women and men searching for a conquest.

The room was hot and sweaty even though there were various vents piping in cool air. Lois sighed; going to clubs at all hours and getting intoxicatingly drunk had never appealed to her. "How are we going to find him in this?"

**_Title of Chapter:  
Credit to Kate Winslet - What If_**


	3. the fight for you is all i've ever known

A harsh knock at the door alerted Rhys to someone's presence. Frantically, he placed the bottle he was feeding to his son down on the coffee table before manoeuvring the baby into a better position over his shoulder. Another knock sounded and Rhys muttered an expletive, clearly annoyed at the visitor's impatience and intrusion.

He had hoped for a quiet night at home with the baby; a time to bond without Gwen hovering near-by giving him tips on how to handle their child. But no, obviously fate didn't have that planned for poor Rhys Matthews. Over the past year a lot had happened; the commission of a new Torchwood, the birth of the baby, Gwen got her job back, Rhys becoming a house-husband. It hadn't been easy and often, Rhys had felt like Gwen was slipping away. Jack's absence had certainly hit her hard and it had pained Rhys to see her moping about the flat. He knew that parenthood would be hard; he'd read all the self-help books and the pregnancy guides, but he hadn't imagined that it would be this hard.

Rhys had thought that as soon as the baby was born, Gwen would have fallen into motherhood effortlessly. She had that mothering instinct, and Rhys had always envisioned them setting up home in the countryside surrounded by three or four kids and a couple of dogs; it had been the dream. But, although Gwen was a good mother, her relationship with Rhys had definitely deteriorated. They didn't even argue anymore and they definitely didn't get intimate. He'd sought wise words from his mother; she was convinced it was post-natal depression but all Rhys knew was that their problems had escalated since Jack had left. It pissed him off but there was nothing that he could say that would help Gwen. He just wished she'd forget about him but he'd wished that in vain before.

Grabbing a small hand towel from the sofa, he placed it under the baby's chin just in case he was sick. Finally, he reached the door fiddled with the locks one handed in a bid to open it. Leaving it on the chain, he opened the door and his eyes widened at the sight.

* * *

"We're hot blooded females, Lois, we'll think of something." Gwen brushed her off; infact, she had no clue what to do now. This would be the moment when Jack would barge in with all the information. He'd tell her exactly how to trap the 'vampire' and together, they'd formulate a plan. Except, Gwen was on her own now – she was in charge and had to push herself to think on her feet. "Do you remember any of the lists that we jotted down… what were his weaknesses?"

"Erm…" Lois fumbled, her brain slipping into overdrive. They had to think of something otherwise they'd be another murder by the end of the night. "Erm… they are sensitive to silver, sunlight…"

"Sunlight! That's it; we need to turn on the UV lights. It's gotta disorientate them a bit." Gwen offered; she had nothing better than this, and Lois knew it too. Nodding hastily, Lois proceeded to the head barman to distract him whilst Gwen slunk behind the counter to decipher which was actually the switch.

"Do you have _Sex on the Beach_?" Lois asked, leaning against the bar with a fiver clasped between her fingers. She noticed the eyes of the barman give her an once-over and she knew that she'd be able to hold him there for a few minutes. The barman nodded lightly, his lips succumbing to a small smile. "How much is that then?"

As Lois confused and berated the barman, Gwen headed to the other end of the counter and slipped behind it. Kneeling down, she knew that she wouldn't be seen if she were quick enough. She'd already decided on the plan; the 'vampire' would either fall dizzy and they'd rush to him, proclaiming that they were his friends and that he'd had one too many or he'd rush out of the club as quickly as he could. She hoped that it would be the first one as he would be so much easier to catch.

The club was dim apart from the dance floor and so Gwen squinted in order to see the switchboard. The switch labelled 'continuous' was flicked up; it took her a few seconds to locate the UV switch as there were so many, who knew that the lighting of a club was that detailed. Pressing down on the UV switch, the one labelled 'continuous' turned off and the club was in darkness for a few more seconds. A chorus of 'Hey' and 'Oh' reverberated around the club; clearly the flashing coloured lights were of high priority to the club-goers.

Gwen jumped to her feet, her eyes scanning the dance floor awaiting her prey. The lights changed and lit up the whole dance floor; anyone wearing white lit up and various chuckles were heard from the women whose bras had gained florescence. Then she saw him; the tall man, whose skin was so white that it had taken on alight florescence all by itself, began to stumble towards the exit.

Jumping over the counter, Gwen headed for him and she noticed Lois leap into action from the corner of her eye. Successfully out of the glare of the lights, the 'vampire' slunk against the wall. Gwen couldn't be sure that it really was him; after all, it could just be another completely wasted crack-head that had finally had enough. Pulling her silver necklace out of her pocket, she was ready to check.

Standing beside the man, she smiled. "Had too much already, mate?" She sneered, her Welsh accent thick with disgust. Pressing the necklace against his forearm, she watched in wonder as his skin reddened, and the man groaned. He really was what they thought he was. It seemed so stupid, like he had stepped off of a Hollywood film set but here he was, the real thing. A vampire.

The vampire snarled, but Lois was ready for him. They both took him by the arm and led him outside, a stun-gun at the ready. Pressing the switch, the harsh electric shock wracked his body; Lois had loaded it with enough charge to stun three men and it seemed to work effectively. They couldn't be sure how long it would last. Swiftly, they loaded him into the boot of the BMW, hopeful that he would be out long enough for them to reach Torchwood.

**_Title of Chapter:  
Credit to OneRepublic - Come Home_**


	4. better go get your armour

"J - Jack…" Rhys managed to stutter out. He didn't know how to follow that statement, he couldn't see anything fitting. Well, he knew what he wanted to say but words probably couldn't sum up the animosity he felt towards the Captain. His tone was thick with surprise but it wasn't a good surprise. He didn't know how Gwen would react – he hoped that she wouldn't be happy about his return but he didn't want her to sink further into herself – he couldn't deal with her reclusive behaviour, he'd prefer it if she were shouting at him every night but instead, she barely said a word.

"Rhys… and baby." Jack let a small smile soften his features but he couldn't hide the hint of fear in his eyes. Since he'd left, he'd made a specific attempt to remain as far away from anything that he could harm. He had classified himself a monster. For a few months, the segregation had been fitting; he hadn't hurt, harmed or killed anyone and in his book, that was a success. He'd tried to rehabilitate himself, to realise that one sacrifice couldn't be justified even if it saved the rest of the world. After months roaming outer space, he'd thought about returning. He'd missed Earth, he missed humans and he missed Gwen.

It had been twelve months since Jack had last set eyes on Gwen, Rhys and Earth; the magnitude of how much he missed them hit him. Part of him was glad to be back but the other part of him was fearful of the havoc that he might cause. He didn't think that Torchwood was his place anymore but he didn't think he'd be able to say no to Gwen if she needed his help. However, in all honesty, if he was not needed on Earth he would not know what to do next. He loved Earth and the people on it and without it, he was lost. It pained him to see that everyone had moved on except for him; Earth was still turning and everything was normal again, no one even knew about Steven.

"Tristan Jack Williams." Rhys offered, moving the baby down so that Jack could see his face. It was clear that Rhys was proud of his son but his smile soon turned into a scowl. "Not my choice of name but Gwen wouldn't have it any other way." When Gwen had suggested that his son's middle name should be Jack, they'd engaged in a vicious row – well, if it were a row, they'd both have to be involved, but it was basically just Rhys shouting and Gwen ignoring him. She wanted it to be Jack and so it would be Jack; she tried to brush it off as her grandfather's first name but Rhys knew who she really wanted her son to be named after.

"Of course." Jack replied quickly as he attempted to suppress a triumphant smile with a grimace. "Is Gwen around?"

Rhys stiffened slightly; he was clearly annoyed that Jack had come to his house, snuffed his child and then asked for the whereabouts of his wife. "She's at work."

"Where does she work?"

"Didn't you know? Torchwood has been re-commissioned and Gwen's in charge." Rhys replied smugly; he was proud of Gwen and her achievements. From time to time he felt resentful; from the beginning the job had taken her away from him and it continued to do so.

"Right." Jack replied; if anyone deserved the job it was Gwen.

Rhys faltered; he could not hold Jack off any longer, he had to trust Gwen. "The Hub's near Cardiff bay. You'll know it by the sign on the outside… 'Potatoes'." They'd chosen that factory together; Gwen had told Rhys about her pregnancy whilst lying on a bed of potatoes, that's when their future had taken on a glimmer, it seemed only fitting.

"Right. I'll be going then…" Jack moved towards the baby Tristan, but hesitated. Then, without so much as a goodbye or thank you, Jack turned on his heel and headed out of the building.

* * *

Lois and Gwen had made it back to the Hub with the car still intact and the vampire still dead to the world; ha, ironic. It wasn't easy for them to carry the creature back into the Hub from the boot of the car, so instead they ended up dragging him across the floor. Gwen really didn't see the problem with this, after all, they were just going to wire him up to machines and work out what methods actually affected vampires. Well, at least they knew the sunlight and UV lights were on the list.

Once inside, they managed to place him on a metal autopsy table and held him down with thick leather straps. His head flopped to the side, his body still incapacitated. Now, Gwen could take her time trying to find out what was correct about vampire mythology. It could then be documented and filed in the catacombs of Torchwood for the centuries to come. There was something about making history that intrigued Gwen; of course, she didn't know for sure that vampires hadn't existed before but she couldn't ask Jack that. As far as she knew, he was dancing on Mars.

Leaving the vampire with Lois, Gwen walked back into the room that was supposed to be the office. It was the headquarters of the building, the place where Gwen would dictate her orders to her Torchwood team; if she had one. Lying on the desk were all the different newspaper articles, print-outs from mythological websites and snippets from books all about maiming and killing a vampire. It seemed that everyone had an idea about how to kill a vampire and Gwen was going to try every one. She didn't care about rehabilitation anymore; fundamentally, he was a killer and he needed to be put down.

Bundling everything up: a silver knife, an axe, holy water, a crucifix, garlic and a wooden stake; Gwen made her way back into the sectioned off room where the vampire lay, strapped to the autopsy table. There was no pity in her heart and absolutely no hesitation of what she was about to do. The past 18 months had hardened Gwen. Her compassion had taken a knock and all that she could think about was keeping her baby safe; the less aliens and vampires and monsters running about the place, the better.

"Are we really going to do this?" Lois stared at Gwen with incredulous eyes. The vampire looked so human. If she didn't know any better, she could quite possibly like this guy. She could have been one of those girls on a night out, being chatted up by this sexy stranger and she could have let him lead her outside for what she thought would be innocent kisses. She could have been the girl ending up dead in the morning; her cold body slumped against a wall. Yet despite knowing what he was, Lois was still unsettled by the thought of torturing him.

"Yeah… yeah, we are." Gwen nodded quickly. She had never liked harsh methods, she had always found Jack's methods of interrogation wrong but now, Gwen had hardened. She was the Boss. She was in charge of protecting millions of people from 'what's out there' and that had had an effect on her very being. She couldn't pussyfoot around anymore; she had to be direct, extinguishing the root of the problem. "It's alright, Lois. He killed those women, he deserves this."

So absorbed in the task that lay ahead, Gwen didn't hear the thunder of a car draw up outside their base and the clickety-click of shoes moving across pavestones.

**_Title Of Chapter:  
Credit to Jordin Sparks - Battlefield_**


	5. insatiable, the way i'm loving you

Her hands gripped the small bottle of holy water and her fingers tentatively began to unscrew the cap. Lois had picked it up from the local church, and now the water was housed in an empty Coke bottle. Earlier in the evening Lois had worried about whether the holiness of the water had been tainted by the commercial bottle it was housed in. Gwen had scolded her, and then privately wondered the same question. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right.

Torchwood's protocols had all changed when Gwen had reinstated the institution. Everything was to be done her way, everything was put to her first, everything was signed off by her; the operation was monitored by her and her alone. The power hadn't gone to her head.

She was a nice, understanding and caring boss. She cared for Lois, and she would do anything to protect her, just like she would have done to protect Owen, Tosh and Ianto. She had her weaknesses; the human race. Aliens, monsters, demons and the supernatural were further down on her list than they had been on Jack's. Mainly because he was practically an alien himself, or so Gwen told herself. Although she missed him terribly, she couldn't shake the burning anger she had at him leaving her. She had been so lost after he left, she'd had to make so many decisions by herself and she worried that she'd never see him again.

There was no one she could talk to; Rhys didn't understand and why should he? As far as he was concerned, she and Jack had never been involved… she hadn't loved him. And that was true; Gwen hadn't been able to love him, not completely. He was never fully there like Rhys. Rhys had given himself to Gwen; she knew everything about him, there was no memory unexplored and no personality trait not experienced. But with Jack, he'd never opened up to her like she had wanted. Gwen's need to know Jack had been insatiable, a thirst she couldn't quench.

"We're really going to do this. Really and actually going to kill him." Lois repeated this fact to herself, clearly Gwen's affirmation wasn't enough for this sentence to sink in. "He'll be dead. Actually dead."

"Lois, he's already dead. We're just sending him to hell." Gwen offered, she didn't want Lois thinking that she had killed a person. It wouldn't do anything for her conscious, and she needed her team – well, the only team member she had – on the ball.

Holding the bottle over the vampire, Gwen's hand trembled. Mentally, she was preparing herself for the possible outbursts that he might exclaim; asking her to stop, pleading and begging with her, telling her how sorry he was for what he had done and asking her to spare his life. She knew she had to be ready. Finally, her capacity at full strength, she threw the water in the face of the vampire, expecting a sizzling and bubbling sound as his skin began to melt away, disfiguring a most handsome face.

But it didn't. His face was just wet.

Swiftly, his eyes popped open, his eyes black and deep. "Babe, what you trying to do? Give me a bed bath?" He chuckled, his fangs visible beneath his pink, plump lips.

"Well that didn't work." Lois chimed in, like she was a sports commentator providing a voice over, confirming everything that has just happened as if the whole audience weren't capable of working it out for themselves.

"You think?" Gwen replied. Gwen eyed the table, wondering what to try next.

"So holy water doesn't work." Lois highlighted her expression quizzical as she eyed the vampire.

"No shit Sherlock." The vampire replied his smiled broad and unfazed. "You two have never met a vampire before, huh? Let me tell you, a lot of the myths about us are just that. We started the rumours ourselves."

Gwen's hand landed on the stake next. She picked it up, fingering the smooth texture and feeling the weight in her hands. As soon as the vampire's eyes took the sight in, they widened in alarm and, so Gwen suspected, fear. She was waiting for him to say something, but his eyes moved finding the source of the echoing footsteps that Gwen had not noticed.

"Stop! Put down the stake." The voice boomed across the room, the sound reverberating until it reached Gwen's ears.

She knew the voice and instinctively, the stake dropped from her thin fingers and fell to the floor. Quickly she spun around and came face to face with the man that had evaded her for months. Her mouth formed a small 'O' and her whole being froze.

"Jack." Lois beamed, the expression reaching her eyes. She darted forward for him and pulled him into a hug. "I haven't seen you in ages, how have you been? Where have you –" Her speech abruptly finished as she noticed Jack's face, noticed his blue eyes fixated on Gwen.

"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded of Gwen. He hadn't noticed Lois' presence despite her hug and quick welcome. Lois stepped back, her brain urging her to leave. Clearly this wasn't a moment for swapping information on the last months of their lives.

"I – I – Erm," Gwen stuttered, waiting for her brain to kick in. She glanced down at the floor and the image of the stake flashed before her eyes. She quickly bent down and grasped the stake, holding it firmly within her hand once more. "I'm going to kill him."

She darted forward but was swiftly intercepted by Jack. He grabbed her arm inches before the stake met the vampire's chest. "No. You're not." He declared as if this statement was somehow fact.

"He's killed people, Jack."

"So have I."

Gwen's eyes met his in defiance. This statement was fact and she didn't know how to fight her way out of it. He had killed people but he'd saved the world in the process. Surely he could be forgiven, but not a vampire. She couldn't let him go free.

"We're not going to kill him; that's not what Torchwood's about." Jack replied, his hand finally releasing her arm.

"There's no 'we'. You don't work here anymore, remember?" And with that Gwen strutted off, throwing the stake to the floor.

Lois stood dumbfounded, staring after Gwen in amazement. Her eyes fell on Jack, who was equally in a state of confusion. Lois did not have any comprehension of Gwen and Jack's relationship, apart from the fact that they obviously cared for each other. In Lois' mind, a storm had just begun and she felt it would better to find shelter. Heading over to the vampire, she injected him with a sedative that quickly put him unconscious before she sloped off to her own office – or at least desk – in order to weather the storm.

**_Title of Chapter:  
Credit to Darren Hayes - Insatiable_**


End file.
